yehh i am being totally honest, wouldnt dream of lying to them.

thanx again for replies

Importantly, I'm talking about one type of Asthma. The one were you're okay one moment, and heaving against a reaction the next. Chronically inflamed tubes I know nothing about.

Some attacks are dangerous. Yes, people do die of the problem...but most don't, and to many it becomes a distant memory. You need to know what category you fall into. Tough to do without paperwork being generated.


I had asthma when I was a kid. I was excused all school sports, and had dozens of broken nights lying in my cat-hair coated bed. All the heaving against the restriction seemed to do nothing but give me a powerful lung/diaphragm. Swimming and rowing didn't phase me, and saved my bacon strength-wise I suppose.

Running suddenly into cold air was a no-no. And some types of smoke - solder flux I think would be tricky. Mostly it was at night...and I bet a modern bed and a dust free room would have cured the problem right away.

I sort of grew out of it. Smoking the world's strongest cigars and a pipe seemed to make my reactive circuits just give up. ( mean this seriously, but there must be less dangerous ways of achieving this effect.)

By the time I was 18, I was a judo enthusiast, and don't recall a reaction doing that. 3 years later I was taking the first medical. I don't recall any questions in those days. If there were, they weren't very searching.

By the time I had been a pilot for some years, I had to go the Praed St for the 5 yearly. I gathered a crowd round the old cast iron pen machine as I blew into the tube time and time again. They wanted to see if I could blow the needle off the disc. I didn't, but I got to the edge of the paper.

I'll never know if that flow was improved by all the nights of fighting against restriction. There is no doubt in my mind that they made me able to puff harder once the pipes had stopped reacting.

The point about all this is a/ that you can grow out of asthma. Never call it My Asthma...just by asthma. Don't make a friend of it.


b/ Those nights of heaving away against the restriction. Look as them as a work-out period.

Keep an ace card up your sleeve until you are quite sure that your days of reacting are over. I carried Brovon for a couple of years without needing it.

Had a problem recently where I had to deal with a woman in severe respiratory distress from an asthma attack. Luckily, one of Perth's main ambulance bases is a mere two minutes away and they were on the scene very quickly so the problem was solved.

However, it occurs to me that it would be a very difficult thing to deal with if no expert assistance was nearby and I'd like to know what is the best thing to do (in case of future incidents) while waiting for the ambulance.

The woman had self-medicated with ventalin to no effect
and was severely distressed, shaking and turning distinctly bluish. I need to know what is the appropriate action in these cases when asthma gets to this severe stage, so your advice would be appreciated.

I think this is something you need to ask a paramedic, or a qualified first-aid instructor....

Good idea, rsuggit ... I thought I might find one here, hence posting in this arena rather than my usual haunt, JetBlast.

If Ventolin did not work, it is definitely a case for a medic (not even para-).

There's nothing you can do if Ventolin doesn't work. They need treatment from a healthcare professional, usually admitting to hospital, so, what you can do is call an ambulance ASAP if the attack is that bad.

PP

"Status asthmaticus" is a true medical emergency. Airway management, oxygenation, circulatory support -- the whole bit. As such it requires emergency hospital care, and so transport by the fastest available route is apprpriate.
It won't be handled well up in the air, be it my 172 or your A380.

Graham, MD

I suffer from very mild asthma so fortunately it's well under control.

Firstly, don't panic. Yes, unbelievably hard to do when someone can't breathe. Reassure them that medical help is on the way. Call for an ambulance ASAP. Do not delay this action.

However, it seems to be a natural thing for people to want to pat people on the back if they can't breathe. Believe me, this is one of the worst things you can do. Their lungs are already in spasm and to irritate them will just make it worse.

Bluey,
Since you're often in a stressful environment, that can trigger first time attacks. Attacks will look like wheezing or coughing. The cough won't let up and it's a real hassle trying to breathe. Again, if it's the first time, the victim will be very stressed and panicking about not being able to breathe.

Ask if any one has some ventolin and see if that works.. if it's apparent it's not helping, call an ambulance.

DR ABC

It sounds like you actually followed this rule, (and maybe saved this persons life}



It's quite easy to differntiate between what's life threatening, an what is not, if you've seen it many times before, but if in doubt, get'em seen as soon as poss'speically if your worried about someones breathing.

(2000 people a year (in the UK) die of uncontrolled asthma)

Thanks for the replies everyone. It looks like there was no more that could have been done in practical terms and calling the ambulance was the only option.

You're right, reddo ... watching someone struggle to breathe to the point where they're turning blue is very scarey, especially when it's at the point where you're mentally revising resuscitation procedure.

Thanks again for the help and advice everyone, much appreciated.

If there is no help available, and I mean no help whatsoever for hours, what are the chances of forcing air into the patient?

I'm aware that sometimes it's the discharge of air that is more difficult, but even so, I would try very hard to force air in and out while monitoring pulse.

Surely, even the most dire seizure would allow some air past.

During this time I would try to tell the patient that nomatter how bad it gets, I'm not going to let them die. I might just have a couple of fingers crossed while I was saying this.

The routine would be the same- DR ABC (or ABCDE!!) http://www.resus.org.uk/siteindx.htm

As obs says, this ill patient needs the works, and lots of drugs to save their life.

There is specific advice here:

http://www.asthma.org.uk/all_about_a...ack/index.html

If the patient doesn't have their reliever medication with them (usually in a blue inhaler) or is a poor colour, call 999 immediatly.

Oxygen
Salbutamol nebuliser
Big whack of iv steroid
Consider titrated iv aminophylline/theophylline
Adrenaline as a last resort

Good article in eMedicine - http://www.emedicine.com/med/TOPIC2169.HTM

Of course, prevention is better than cure........ (people shouldn't die of asthma in this day and age.)

Go and see ya'asthma nurse, it's likely she'll give you good advice.

Thanks again, everyone ... all advice has been read and absorbed.

i want to find out if someone with an history of asthma can work as a pilot, i have applied for my class 1 medicals which i passed,but i want to be very sure.thanks

A pilot living in Lagos, Nigeria, has passed his medical exam and been issued a certificate, but still isn't sure?

I was recently in Lagos, and don't remember seeing a flight school on the field.

How is it that you want to be "sure" after you've already taken the exam and passed, again?

As long as you have provided the medical examiners with all the correct relevant information and passed, you have absolutely nothing to worry about, they obviously deem you sufficiently capable of flying. However, if you have retained such details, I would strongly suggest you obtain a medical opinion before flying, as Asthma can be a serious life threatening condition if it is not controlled appropriately with the correct medication. That said I’m sure as long as you are able to demonstrate that it is controllable thorough medication you will be ok.